Book: Filipino Popular Tales

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The king remarked, "You are not fitted to join my royal family. Such
a low person as you would disgrace me, and humble my dynasty. So take
your horses with you and go back to your country."

"O king! I am not at fault in the least. It is your Majesty who issued
the edict that any one, rich or poor, who could beat you in the wager,
should be wedded to your daughter. Now I only cling to the right your
Majesty has given me," returned Don Juan. "I had been thinking that
the proclamation your Highness signed would be kept; for it is known
far and wide that you are a king."

By this answer King Palmarin was perplexed. He stopped for a moment to
consider the matter. Then the thought of getting rid of Don Juan--that
is, of killing him--came into his mind: so he said, "Though you are
far below my family, if you can do what I shall ask you to do now,
I will admit you into the royal line."

"I am always ready to obey your Majesty's command," said Don Juan.

"I had a reliquary, which I inherited from my royal father. I lost
it while I was hunting once in the forest twenty years ago. Now I
want you to look for it. I will give you three days. If you do not
find it in that time, you shall be severely punished," said the king.

Don Juan left the court and returned to his companions. He told them
what had passed between him and the king in the palace. Noet Noen
encouraged him, and said, "Do not be sad! for by the aid of God the
reliquary shall be found. Remember, there is nothing difficult if you
call on God.--What do you say, comrades? It is now time for you to
help Don Juan, so as to distract him from his sorrow.--Miran Miron,
as you have keen eyes, it will not take you long to find it. Try your
best, and look everywhere."

"Trust me; I'll be responsible for finding it," said Miran
Miron. "To-morrow I will set out in quest of it."

As to the king, he was at ease, for he was sure that Don Juan could
not find the reliquary.

The next day Miran Miron set out in search of the reliquary, which
he found covered with thirty yards of earth. He dug out the earth
until he reached the locket; then he returned to his companions,
and delivered it to Don Juan. His comrades, seeing him rejoice at
the sight of the reliquary, said, "Again we have beaten the king."

Noet Noen said, "Don Juan, to-morrow take King Palmarin his reliquary."

The next day Don Juan set out for the court. When he reached the
palace, he saluted the king, who was astonished. "How! Don Juan,
have you given up so soon? How goes the quest?"

"Here, I have found the reliquary," said Don Juan, taking it out and
putting it on the table. Then he continued, "Let your Majesty examine
to see if it is the right one."

The king looked at it carefully. Indeed, it was his own reliquary. He
said to himself, "What a wonder Don Juan is! In two days without any
difficulty he has found the reliquary. I did not even tell him the
exact place where I lost it, and many people failed to come across it
as soon as it was missed. Here in Marsella he has no equal." Then he
said to Don Juan, "I am astonished at the ability you have shown. There
is no tongue that can express my gratitude to you for bringing me
back my reliquary, the delight of my heart."

Don Juan replied, "If there is yet something to be done, let your
Highness command his loyal vassal, who is always ready to obey."

"If that is so, in order that you may obtain what you wish," said
the king, "go to Rome and take my letter to the Pope. Wait for his
answer. I will also send another person to carry the same message. The
one who comes after the other shall receive death as a punishment,"
said the king.

"Your loyal subject will try to obey you," said Don Juan.

So the king wrote two letters to the holy Pope, and gave one to Don
Juan, who immediately left the palace and went to his friends. He
was sad, meditating on his fate.

The king's messenger, Bruja, [45] set out for Rome that very moment. He
was told to use his charm and to hurry up. So he went flying swiftly,
like an arrow shot from a bow.

When Don Juan reached his comrades, he said, "I gave the reliquary
to the king. Now he wants me to go to Rome to deliver this letter
to the Pope and wait for his answer. At the same time the king has
sent another messenger. If I come after his arrival in Marsella,
I shall lose my life. You see what a hard task the king has given
me. I do not know very well the way to Rome, and, besides, the wise
Bruja is winged."

"Do not worry," said Noet Noen. "If God will, we shall defeat the
king. Even if he has Bruja to send, you have some one also: so pluck
up your courage!"

"What do you say, Curan Curing? Show your skill, and go to Rome flying
like the wind," said Noet Noen.

"Do not be troubled, Don Juan," said Curan Curing. "I will carry the
letter even to the gates of heaven. For me a journey to Rome is not
far--in just one leap I shall be there. Give me the letter. To-morrow
I will set out. To-day I will rest, so that I can walk fast." Don Juan
gave Curan Curing the letter, and they all went to sleep. Perhaps by
this time Bruja had already arrived at Rome.

The next morning Curan Curing started on his journey to deliver
the letter to the Pope. When he was half way to Rome, he met Bruja
walking very swiftly, and already returning to Marsella. "Are you
Don Juan?" said Bruja, "and are you just going to Rome now? You are
beaten. Do not waste your energy any more. If you walk like that,
you cannot reach Rome in two months."

Bruja spoke so, because Curan Curing was walking on only one leg. But
when he heard these words, he let loose his other leg and went faster
than a bullet. He arrived almost instantly at Rome, and delivered
the letter to the holy Pope, who, after reading it, wrote an answer
and gave it to the messenger.

Curan Curing then made his way back towards his companions. He went as
fast as the wind, and overtook Bruja on the road. "What! Are you still
here? What is the matter? How is it that you have not reached Marsella
yet? Where is that boast of yours, that I am already beaten? Now I
am sure that you will disappoint your king, who relies too much upon
your skill," said Curan Curing.

Bruja, fearing that he should be defeated, for Don Juan's messenger
was very spry, planned to trick Curan Curing. So Bruja said, "Friend,
let us rest here a while! I have a little wine with me. We will drink
it, if it pleases you, and take a little rest while the sun is so hot."

"Oh, yes! if you have some wine. It will be a fine thing for us to
drink to quench our thirst," replied Curan Curing.

The wine was no sooner handed to him than he fell asleep. Then Bruja
put on one of Curan Curing's fingers a ring, so as to insure victory
for the king. Whoever had Bruja's ring would sleep soundly and never
wake as long as the charmed ring was on his finger. So Bruja, with
a light heart, flew away and left the sleeping messenger. Bruja
flew so swiftly, that in a moment he was seen by Curan Curing's
companions. When they saw the king's messenger coming swiftly near
them, they felt very sad. But as soon as Supla Supling was sure that
it was Bruja flying through the air toward them, he said, "Let me
manage him! I will make his journey longer. I will blow him back,
so that he will not win." Supla Supling then breathed deeply and
blew. Bruja was carried back beyond Rome. How Don Juan's companions
rejoiced! Bruja did not sleep during the whole night: he was trying
his best to reach Marsella.

The next morning Noet Noen said, "I never thought that our friend
Curan Curing would be so slow. He has not come yet. Bruja has made him
drink wine and has put him to sleep. The trickish fellow has placed
on one of Curan Curing's fingers a magic ring, which keeps him in a
profound sleep."

When Punta Punting heard Noet Noen's words, he shot his arrow, though
he could not see the object he was aiming at. But the ring was hit,
and the arrow returned to its master with the magic ring on it. Such
was the virtue of Punta Punting's arrow. As for Curan Curing, he was
awakened. He felt the ring being moved from his finger; but the charm
was still working in him, and he fell asleep again.

Noet Noen, knowing that Curan Curing was again asleep, called Miran
Miron, and said, "Pray, wake the sleeper under the tree !"

Miran Miron then shouted. Curan Curing awoke suddenly, frightened
at the noise. Now, being wide awake, he realized the trick Bruja
had played on him. He looked to see if he still had the Pope's
letter. Luckily Bruja had not stolen it. Curan Curing then began
his journey. Though he went faster than the lightning, he could not
overtake Bruja, who was very far ahead of him. In the mean time Bruja
was seen by Miran Miron. He was enraged, and cried out loud. When Supla
Supling heard his friend shout, he blew strongly. Bruja got stuck
in the sky: he was scorched by the glowing sun. Not long afterwards
Curan Curing arrived, and gave the letter to Don Juan.

Don Juan at once set out for Marsella. When he reached the palace,
he delivered the Pope's letter to the king. The king, realizing that
he was beaten, said to Don Juan, "Though you have won, I will not
grant your request, for you are too inferior. You may go."

Don Juan replied, "Great King, nobody ordered your Highness to issue
the decree to which your hand did sign your name. I trusted your
word, and I ventured to take part in the wager. Now, honorable king,
my complaint is that your Majesty breaks his word."

The king was meditating as to what to do next to check Don Juan. At
last he said, "I want you to show me some more of your wisdom. If
you can sail on dry land, and I can see your ship to-morrow morning
moored here in front of the palace, I will believe in your power and
wisdom. So you may go. My subjects, the queen, and I will be here to
see you sail on dry land to-morrow morning."

Don Juan did not complain at all. He rose from his seat, sad and
melancholy, and bade the king good-by. When he reached his companions,
Noet Noen said, "You need not speak. I know what is the matter. I
will manage the business, and all our comrades will help, so that our
sailing on dry land to-morrow will not be delayed.--Carguen Cargon,
my friend, go to the inn and fetch a large strong ship."

Carguen Cargon went on his errand. It was not long before he found the
right ship. So, shouldering it, he brought it back to his companions.

The next day everything was ready for the journey. Noet Noen said,
"You will be in charge of the rudder, Carguen Cargon, so that the ship
may go smoothly.--Supla Supling, sit at the stern and blow the sails,
so that we may go fast.--The rest of us will serve as mariners. Cry
'Happy voyage!' as soon as we enter the city."

Accordingly Supla Supling blew the sails. The wind roared, and many
trees fell down. The little band sailed through the kingdom. All the
people who saw them were wondering. They said, "Were this deed not
by enchantment, they could not sail on dry land. Where do you think
this ship came from, if not from the land of enchanters?"

When the sailors reached the city, they found King Palmarin looking
out of the window of his palace. Don Juan then disembarked from
his ship and went before the king to greet him. Don Juan said,
"Your Majesty's servant is here. He is ready to obey your will: so,
if there is anything more to be done, let your Highness order him."

The king felt ashamed for being a liar, and did not ask Don Juan to
perform any more miracles. "Don Juan, I have now seen your wonderful
wisdom. You may return to your country, for I will not give you the
hand of my daughter," said King Palmarin.

"Farewell, O king! Your own order has caused all that has
happened. Though I have not succeeded in accomplishing my purpose,
I have no reason to be ashamed to face anybody. What troubles me is,
that, in spite of your widespread reputation for honor, you do not
keep even one of your thousand million words. After some one has
done you some service, you turn him away. Farewell, king! To my own
country I will return," said Don Juan as he left the palace.

The king did not say anything, for he realized the truth of the
knight's statement. Don Juan went to the boat. He and his companions
sailed back to their station. As they passed out of the city, the
people hailed them. His companions cheered him up and encouraged
him. When they arrived at their lodging-place, Noet Noen said, "Let
us stay a little longer and wait for God's aid, which He always gives
to the humble! All that has happened is God's will, so do not worry,
Don Juan."

"I will do whatever you wish," said Don Juan.

So they staid in the ship. Several months passed by, but nothing was
heard. At last the Moors invaded Marsella. They put to death many
of the inhabitants, and shut up the king and the rest of his men in
jail. He, the queen, and the princess grieved very much, for they
suffered many hardships in their narrow prison. When news of this
conquest reached the seven, Noet Noen said to his companions, "Now is
our turn to help Marsella. Use all your skill; for in driving away
the Moors we serve a double purpose: first, we help the Christians;
second, Don Juan."

"Let me be general!" said Curan Curing. "If I rush at the Moors,
they will not know what to do."

Supla Supling said, "As for me, no Moor can stay near me, for I will
blow him away, and he will be lost in the air."

"Though I have no weapons, no one can face me in battle without
tumbling down in fear," said Miran Miron.

Carguen Cargon joined in. "I will pull up a tree and carry it with
me; so that, even if all the Moors unite against me, they shall lie
prostrate before me."

"My arrow is enough for me to face Moors with," said Punta Punting.

At the command of Noet Noen they set out. Curan Curing walked with
one leg; still he was far ahead of his companions. He then would stop,
return to his friends, and say impatiently, "Hurry up!"

At last they told him that he would be overtired. "The general ought
to get weary if he commands," said Curan Curing. "But I shall never
get tired from walking at this rate!"

When they arrived at Marsella, Noet Noen encouraged his
companions. Carguen Cargon pulled up a tree fifteen yards tall and six
yards in circumference. He rushed at the Moors, and, by swinging the
tree constantly, he swept away the enemy. Curan Curing walked with
both his legs. He crushed the enemy, who fell dead as he stepped on
them. Miran Miron shouted. His loud voice frightened the Moors. Punta
Punting shot with his arrow. Whenever it had killed a Moor, it returned
to its master. After many Moors had fallen, the rest could not maintain
the fight, and they fled. Noet Noen then gathered together his men,
and said, "Let us look for the king!"

They opened all the jails and freed the prisoners. The six victors
cried, "Hurrah for Don Juan!" and said to the released persons,
"All of you who have been held prisoners must thank Don Juan; for,
were it not for him, we should not have come to your aid."

"Who is this benefactor? We wish to know to whom we owe our lives,"
said the king.

Noet Noen said, "By God's will we gained the victory. It is Don Juan
who brought us here to save you from the hands of the infidels. So
he is indeed the benefactor."

"Don Juan!" the crowd then shouted. "Our lives we owe to you.--Hurrah
for our savior! Hurrah for the whole kingdom!"

The king, queen, princess, counsellors, and the victors went to the
palace. They were all happy. When they had taken their seats, the king
spoke thus: "What shall we give the victor? As for me, even the whole
kingdom is too small a reward for saving us. Lend me your advice."

Noet Noen answered, "Let me make a suggestion, O king! You already
know what Don Juan desires. Do him justice, for he not only beat you in
the wager, but also succeeded in accomplishing all your commands. Now
he saves you and your kingdom, and restores you to power. Let your
issued decree be carried out." The king then consulted the queen,
and said that the stranger was right.

The counsellors said, "King, Don Juan deserves the reward named in
the edict; for, were it not for him, your people and even you would
now be slaves."

So at last the king agreed, and, as a bishop was present, the
marriage was performed immediately. After the marriage ceremony,
the king said, "Hear me, counsellors! As I am now too old to rule,
and can no longer perform the duty of king, I am going to abdicate
in favor of my son-in-law.--Don Juan, on your head I lay the crown
with its sceptre. Do whatever you will, for you are now full king."

The queen rose from her seat, and, taking off the diadem from her
head, she placed it on her daughter, saying, "My darling, receive
the diadem of the kingdom, so that all may recognize you as their new
queen." All the counsellors then rose, and shouted, "Hurrah for the
new couple! May God give them long lives! May they be successful!" The
entire kingdom rejoiced, and held banquets.

When Don Juan had become king, he made a trip with his six
companions throughout the entire kingdom, giving alms to the needy
and sick. When the royal visit was over, he returned with his friends
to the palace. Then Noet Noen said to the king, "Our king, Don Juan,
do not be astonished at what I am going to tell you. Since you have
now got what you wanted, we now bid you farewell."

"Why are you going away? What is there in me that you do not like? Pray
do not leave me until I have repaid you!" He then called each of the
six, and expressed his great gratitude to him, and begged him not
to go away. "I will even abdicate the throne if you want me to," Don
Juan said, "for your departure will kill me." The queen also begged
the six men not to leave.

At last Noet Noen said, "Don Juan, long have we lived together; yet
you know not whence we come, for we have never told you. We cannot be
absent from there much longer." The prophet then related minutely to
the king who they were, and why they had come to his aid. Then the
six men disappeared.


Notes.

The course of events common to these three stories is this: A king
proclaims that he will give the hand of his daughter to the one who
can furnish him with a very costly or marvellous conveyance. The poor
young hero, because of his kindness to a wretched old man or woman (or
corpse), is given the wonderful conveyance. On his way to the palace
to present his gift, he meets certain extraordinary men, whom he takes
along with him as companions. The king, realizing the low birth of the
hero, refuses the hand of his daughter until additional tasks have
been performed. With the help of his companions, the hero performs
these, and finally weds the princess. This group of stories was almost
certainly imported into the Philippines from Europe, where analogues
of it abound. I know of no significant Eastern variants. Parallels
to certain incidents can be found in Malayan and Filipino lore,
but the cycle as a whole is clearly not native to the Islands.

In a broad sense, our stories belong to the "Bride Wager" formula
(see Von Hahn, 1 : 54, Nos. 23 and 24). The requirement that a
suitor shall guess correctly the kind of skin from which a certain
drum-head is made (usually a louse-skin) is to be found in Italian
(Basile, 1 : 5; cf. Gonzenbach, No. 22; Schneller, No. 31), Spanish
(Caballero, trans, by J. H. Ingram, "The Hunchback"), German (Grimm,
2 : 467, "The Louse," where the princess makes a dress, not a drum,
from the skin of the miraculous insect). Only Basile's story combines
the louse-skin motif with the wonderful companions,--a combination
found in our "King Palmarin." There seems to be no close connection,
however, between these two tales. Although Oriental Märchen turning
on this motif of the louse-skin drum are lacking, the Filipino corrido
need not have got the conception from Europe: it is Malayan. In a list
of the Jelebu regalia occurs this item: "The royal drums (gendang
naubat); said to be 'headed' with the skins of lice (kulit tuma)"
(see Skeat 2, 27).

We have already met with the extraordinary companions (No. 3;
see especially variant d, "Sandangcal," which relates a contest
between the hero's runner and the king's messenger). For the formula,
see Bolte-Polívka's notes to Grimm, No. 71. Benfey (Ausland, 1858,
pp. 1038 et seq., 1067 et seq.) believes the "Skilful Companions"
cycle as represented by Grimm, Nos. 71 and 134; Basile, Nos. 28 and
36; Straparola, 4 : 1, etc.--to be a kind of humorous derivative
of the cycle we shall call the "Rival Brothers" (q.v., No. 12 of
this collection), and which he shows to have spread into Europe
from India. There are significant differences, however, between
these two groups; and Benfey's treatment of them together causes
confusion. In the "Skilful Companions" cycle, the extraordinary men
are in reality servants of the hero, who sets out and wins the hand
of a princess. They are picked up by chance. In the "Rival Brothers"
cycle, on the other hand, the three (or four) brothers set out to learn
trades and to win their fortunes, often wonderful objects of magic;
the brothers meet later by appointment, combine their skill to succor
a princess, and then quarrel as to which deserves her most. In stories
of the "Strong Hans" type (e.g., Grimm, No. 166) or "John the Bear"
(Cosquin, No. 1), where the extraordinary companions also appear,
they turn out to be rascals, who faithlessly desert the hero. In
our stories, however, the specially-endowed men are supplied by a
grateful supernatural being, to help the kind-hearted hero win in his
contests with the stubborn king. (Compare Gonzenbach's Sicilian story,
No. 74, which includes a thankful saint, with characteristics of the
"Grateful Dead," a "Land-and-water Ship," and "Skilful Companions.")

The names of the companions in "King Palmarin" and "Juan and his
Six Friends" are clearly derived from the Spanish. In Caballero's
story of "Lucifer's Ear" we find these names: Carguin ("carrier"),
Oidin ("hearer"), Soplin ("sigher or blower"). All three occur in
"Juan and his Six Friends." In the three Filipino tales the total
number of different strong men is only seven,--Know-All, Blower,
Farsight, Runner, Hunter, Carrier, Sharp-Ear. This close conformity,
when we consider the wide variety to be found in the European stories
(see Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 87-94; Panzer, Beowulf, 66-74), suggests an
ultimate common source for our variants. The phrase "Soplin Soplon,
son of the great blower" (in "Juan and his Six Friends") is almost
an exact translation of "Soplin Soplon, hijo del buen soplador"
(Caballero, "Lucifer's Ear"). This same locution in the vernacular
is found in the Tagalog folk-tale of "Lucas the Strong."

The ship that will sail on land is often met with in European
stories. See R. Köhler, "Orient und Occident," 2 : 296-299; also
his notes to Gonzenbach, No. 74. Compare also the Argonaut saga;
and Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 87-95 passim.

In two of our stories the hero's runner is almost defeated by
the king's messenger, who treacherously makes use of a magic
sleep-producing ring. One of the other companions, however, discovers
the trick, and the skilful hunter awakens the sleeper with a well-aimed
shot. For this feat of Sharpshooter's, see Gonzenbach, No. 74; Grimm,
No. 71; Meier, No. 8; Ey, Harzmärchenbuch, 116.

Of native beliefs found in our stories, two are deserving of
comment. The method by which Lucas becomes possessed of great strength
reflects a notion held by certain old Tagalogs. Some of the men around
Calamba, Laguna province, make an incision in the wrist and put in
it a small white bone taken from the end of the tail of the sawang
bitin (a species of boa). The cut is then sewed up. Those who have
a talisman of this sort believe that at night it travels all over
the body and produces extraordinary strength. (For similar Malayan
superstitions, see Skeat 2, 303-304.) The legend (in "King Palmarin")
about the origin of Mount Arayat and the swamp of Candaba is but one
of many still told by old Pampangans. Its insertion into a romance
with European setting is an instance of the Filipino romance writers'
utter disregard or ignorance of geographical propriety.

In conclusion, attention may be called to the fact that while
these three stories have the same basic framework, each has its own
peculiar variations. The testimony of the narrator of "Juan and his
Six Companions," that his informant, an old Balayan woman, said that
the story was very popular in her section of the country, is a bit of
evidence that the tale has been known in the Philippines for decades,
probably. Whether or not her form of the story was derived from
a printed account, I am unable to say; but I suspect that it was;
the diction sounds "bookish." Nevertheless I have found no external
evidence of a Tagalog corrido treating the story we have printed.


TALE 12


The Three Brothers.

Narrated by Clodualdo Garcia, an llocano, who was told the story by
his mother when he was a small boy.

There was once an old woman who had three sons. The father died when
Tito, the youngest brother, was only five years old; and the mother was
left alone to bring up her three boys. The family was very poor; but
the good woman worked hard, and her sons grew into sturdy young men.

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